Thursday, February 27, 2014

Hello! Recently I got a shipment of new Hero Arts goodies and thought I'd share some cards using some of their new stamps. I'm so in love with THIS background stamp and THIS star stamp that I decided to make two cards with the same design concept, just different color schemes...

A few tips about these cards....

-Stamping the backgrounds with Distress Inks create texture. I don't usually ink up my stamps with Distress Inks for just plain ole' stamping. I usually save them for technique cards, but with this particular background stamp, it gave a cool texture.

-I've seen lots of artists layer up die cuts on their cards to give great dimension. I did that with the stamped star piece. I didn't have a die-cut for it, so I stamped the image several times, cut them out and glued them together. Can't tell from the picture, but it gives great dimension!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

To create this card:
1. Stamp the heart from THIS stamp set in VersaMark Ink on some Watercolor paper.
2. Heat emboss with white embossing powder.
3. Take three colors of Distress Stain in the same color family and swipe them across the paper in three sections. (The lightest at the top, medium shade in the middle, and darkest at the bottom). This will create a ombre effect. The colors I used are Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Fired Brick.
4. Spray pearlized water over the entire piece to get the colors to blend.
5. Cut a banner shape out of white cardstock and swipe it with one of the Distress Stains. I used the lightest color.
6. Stamp your greeting and stitch it onto the left side of the card.
7. Mat your piece with white cardstock and adhere it to the front of the card.
8. Finish it off with a few gems.

Before I go, I wanted to let you know that Danielle has released four NEW Neat and Tangled stamps in the shop and they are available for purchase today! They are awesome. You can read more about each HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Since Valentine's Day is just a few days away, I thought I'd share the valentines I created for Aiden to send out. I started with some Pop Rocks candy and the idea took off from there...﻿

I did three different styles, designing each to work with the packaging. Here is a closer look at each one...

Here are the steps to create these Valentines...
1. Cut a black piece of cardstock to 5.5 x 3.75.
2. Cut a white piece of cardstock slightly smaller.
3. Stamp the dotted border stamp from THIS stamp set with coordinating ink along the top and the bottom of the white cardstock.
(Inks I used: Green-Grass from Hero Arts/ Blue-Bahama Blue from Memento/Neon Pink from Hero Arts)
4. Adhere the stamped white and black cardstock pieces together.
5. Print out the word, "Valentine" from the computer onto white cardstock and cut it into a one inch strip. (The font I used is called Impact Label.)
6. Stamp the "You Rock" sentiment and stars from THIS stamp set around the printed greeting.
7. Place the candy onto the white cardstock and hold it there while you punch holes (one on each side) through all the cardstock pieces, adhering it together with brads.

For the last step, I placed the finished valentines in clear bags before sending them through the mail...

All of Aiden's cousins live close to us but I wanted to send out the Valentines. I think kids get a kick of getting mail delivered just to them. I found some American Crafts envelopes and addressed them, after Aiden colored on the front. I wanted him to participate, even at a young age. I am going to use the star washi tape to seal the envelopes...

So do you send out Valentine's? If so, I would love to see! Leave a link in the comments below. :)